Monday, October 8, 2012

As the latest
reports reveal, Apple Inc.(NASDAQ:AAPL) has placed order of 10 million panels
for its unannounced and unconfirmed iPad mini, an anticipated 1.8-inch tablet.

On Monday, The Wall
Street journal reported from Taipei that some anonymous Apple suppliers have
received huge orders for the tablet screen, nearly double what Amazon had
placed for the Kindle Fire in the same quarter.

The report comes after
a similar dispatch from Digitime, a Taiwanese tech site, which maintains a
mixed track record when it comes to gathering precise information out of
Apple’s Asian supply chain.

The report on Thursday
revealed that the anonymous sources within the supply chain have indicated that
Apple is supposed to ship 9 to 10 million units of the tablet in its fourth
quarter.

Apple generally does no
comment on any kind of rumor or speculation. It could not be reached
immediately for any reply to the WSJ report.

Every detail about the
iPad mini including its price range and its actual existence, roots from a
series of rumors about Apple’s leap into the smaller tablet industry.

The tablet, if at all
exists, is predicted to come in at a price level lower than Apple’s 9.7-inch
full tablet. However, it is likely to be above the $199 price point of the
Galaxy Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire. Putting it in other words, it may cost more
than the iPod Touch.

MacRumors has reported
that the iPad mini is not expected to come with the same A6 chip that is used
in iPhone 5. In fact, a different version of the A5 chip will be used in the iPad
2.

A smaller Apple tablet
is supposed to make good sales, despite of its late arrival to the market. It
may help Apple’s tripping yet dominant numbers in the global tablet market.